Inside the NBA

Williams in middle of intrigue

Draft guessing game on No. 3 selection

June 13, 2005|By Sam Smith

Does Deron Williams control this year's NBA draft?

The buzz around the league is that Williams' pudgy college fat has been shaved off. (That raises the question of why he couldn't do that at Illinois, but we all knew we looked better at our job interviews than when we did going to class.)

The big mystery in the June 28 draft, perhaps the last official NBA act before a lockout, is what becomes of Williams and Wake Forest's Chris Paul. The two point guards are the big questions in the draft because they're generally regarded as the third and fourth best players after Utah's Andrew Bogut and North Carolina's Marvin Williams. Bogut and Williams will go 1-2 to Milwaukee and Atlanta in some order, though nothing is set yet.

The guessing game begins at No. 3 with Portland, which has invested its future strongly in last year's first-round pick, point guard Sebastian Telfair. That's why the first of the Portland rumors began last week at the Chicago camp, the kickoff for the stretch run to the draft.

The Celtics apparently put out that they would like the No. 3 pick for Paul Pierce. Good for the Celtics, who would love to be rid of the embarrassing Pierce. His playoff antics were the last blow to the crumbled Celtics tradition. General manager Danny Ainge was doing a good job building with young talent before misguided ownership foisted Gary Payton and Antoine Walker on him. Ainge would love to get back to his plan, so dumping Pierce for a high pick would help. Don't count on it, though, because the Blazers also seem committed to young players, who, incidentally, have smaller contracts.

But figure the Blazers will deal, most likely to Charlotte at No. 5 or Utah at No. 6. Both teams would love to have a young point guard. Toronto, with Nos. 7 and 16, also could make an attempt to trade up after a difficult season with Rafer Alston.

Having a solid front line with Emeka Okafor and Primoz Brezec, the Bobcats could give up Nos. 5 and 13, the latter pick from taking Jahidi White in the expansion draft and the Cavaliers releasing a hold on it. They'd like to keep No. 13 but don't have anything on the roster to offer. The Blazers like high schooler Gerald Green, and he'd be sure to be available at No. 5. It would be a heck of a deal for them. The NBA is about top talent, and Charlotte could use an attendance boost after a disappointing first season. So they'd probably opt for local guy Paul at No. 3. Though Paul is small, about 6 feet, he'd be a good NBA fit. He's a leader and fits the NBA game as a good high screen/roll player. He's tough and has, to some, Isiah Thomas tendencies.

That would leave Williams for New Orleans, which could go for a point guard even though Dan Dickau played reasonably well. Dickau probably would be better as a third guard. Though Williams is not regarded as the athletic type the NBA likes, general managers admire his leadership abilities, ballhanding and willingness to perform under pressure and in big games.

That makes him a Jerry Sloan type of point guard. The Jazz has assets to get in the mix, though the feeling is the Blazers don't want to take on any more big contracts. Figure the big experiment in Utah with Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur is over. If Utah doesn't try to move up to get one of the point guards, the word is that the team likes Spanish power forward Fran Vazquez. If Utah is inclined to move Boozer, the Knicks and one of their expiring contracts are a possibility. The Knicks always are looking for more talent and willing to take the extra years. They also have the No. 8 pick, so they'd have a chance to upgrade as well.

The big game will take place around that third pick, and Williams will be right in the middle of it all.

Camptown raises

The Illini's Luther Head got a boost from the Chicago camp, though probably not into the first round. He should move up high in the second round, which often means guaranteed contract money. Head is seen as an undersized shooting guard. The biggest move from the camp could be Florida forward David Lee, who probably got himself into the first round. LaSalle's Steven Smith helped himself, though he may return to school. "He may have made more money [for the future] than anyone," said one general manager. Marquette's Travis Diener opened some eyes as "a poor man's Mark Price." Others who did well: Rawle Marshall from Oakland College, Marcin Gortat of Poland and Drago Pasalic of Croatia.

There's also the buzz that goes around when league executives get together. Some thought that the possibility of four North Carolina players going in the first round, like the Duke Four in 1999, could fade with fears about Rashad McCants' attitude and character, traits that have become a mantra for playoff success. Also, doubts are being raised about the undersized forwards, such as Sean May, Wayne Simien and Hakim Warrick, and all could begin falling. Moving up: Arizona's Channing Frye at 6-11 and, possibly, Connecticut's Charlie Villanueva at 6-10.